The big moment has almost arrived! Tomorrow my wife and two sons will be boarding a plane bound for Sydney, Australia! People ask me: "Are you excited?" Frankly, I don't know when I wasn't excited. But at the same time it feels unbelievable, that the day that hardly seemed imaginable will become a soon reality. One of my sons have not even been out of the state of California, much less off the continent! A challenge and change awaits us.
Thank God that He is LORD of the heavens and the earth. As the words of David relate in Psalm 139:7-18: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You."
How marvelous are the works of our God! Though we leave family and friends dear to us, we look forward to friends and family in Christ we join in service to God in Australia. Tomorrow is already written in God's book, but I have a part in walking according to His will. Though we may be out of sight and out of mind of men, our God will never forget us. He will never leave or forsake His children.
02 January 2011
29 December 2010
Different People, Same Need
One of the biggest hindrances a Christian faces in evangelism is himself. We have a way of becoming self-focused when answering the call to reveal Jesus to the world through our lives. A common extreme is to become so regimented on a process that we forget to show real love to the people Jesus died to save. Another common issue is we are so concerned about our lack of knowledge or other perceived insufficiency we refuse to even try!
As I waited in a Starbucks to meet with a friend today, I was struck by the vast differences of the people inside. There was a policeman with a holstered gun, a man working on his computer, a man with painted nails and a purple purse, a couple of ladies walked in fresh from a workout, and a job interview was being conducted in the corner. I considered our different personalities, lifestyles, and occupations, and I wondered what I could possible have in common with all these people. I looked again at the man with the purple bag with long nails: what did we have in common besides being in Starbucks this particular morning?
Then the answer came: everyone in this coffee shop has a real need for Jesus Christ. Your occupation, sexual orientation, your history is not relevant to answer this question. The more I looked around and thought about it, it seemed we had much more in common than the sum of our differences. We have all been created in the image of God by God for God. He has breathed into all of us a living soul and we are separated by God by our sins. If we desire to spend eternity with Christ in heaven and enjoy fellowship with God on earth and into eternity, we must repent and trust in Jesus as LORD and Savior. Only selfishness would cause me to focus on our differences when our true needs and those of our fellow men are exactly the same.
Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. We all must see ourselves in truth as lost before we can be found. We need not always use words to reveal the love of Jesus to this world, but often words will be required. Actions motivated by love will always be required! Instead of dwelling on differences, may we seek to meet that need that all people share in whatever means possible, that they too might experience the saving grace, love, and forgiveness of our Savior Jesus Christ!
As I waited in a Starbucks to meet with a friend today, I was struck by the vast differences of the people inside. There was a policeman with a holstered gun, a man working on his computer, a man with painted nails and a purple purse, a couple of ladies walked in fresh from a workout, and a job interview was being conducted in the corner. I considered our different personalities, lifestyles, and occupations, and I wondered what I could possible have in common with all these people. I looked again at the man with the purple bag with long nails: what did we have in common besides being in Starbucks this particular morning?
Then the answer came: everyone in this coffee shop has a real need for Jesus Christ. Your occupation, sexual orientation, your history is not relevant to answer this question. The more I looked around and thought about it, it seemed we had much more in common than the sum of our differences. We have all been created in the image of God by God for God. He has breathed into all of us a living soul and we are separated by God by our sins. If we desire to spend eternity with Christ in heaven and enjoy fellowship with God on earth and into eternity, we must repent and trust in Jesus as LORD and Savior. Only selfishness would cause me to focus on our differences when our true needs and those of our fellow men are exactly the same.
Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. We all must see ourselves in truth as lost before we can be found. We need not always use words to reveal the love of Jesus to this world, but often words will be required. Actions motivated by love will always be required! Instead of dwelling on differences, may we seek to meet that need that all people share in whatever means possible, that they too might experience the saving grace, love, and forgiveness of our Savior Jesus Christ!
28 December 2010
Peace from Proximity?
Has someone ever asked you an unexpected question? On Christmas Eve my great-grandma, affectionately known as "Mama Pachita," asked me such a question. To this point, her question usually has been, "Mijo, why don't you speak Spanish?" As I knelt by her chair to give her a hug she bluntly asked, "Why do you have to go so far? What if you are gone when I die?" She struggled to cope with the idea that I would be moving from San Diego to Sydney across the Pacific ocean about 8,500 miles away. This is not a question I could answer. I quipped that she had lived a long life until this point, and I didn't think that would soon change. Though still in great health, the thought of me being gone when she passed away disturbed her. As I lay down to pray and sleep that night, her question remained in my mind.
I suppose I don't consider the ramifications of my own death that often. I have taken responsible steps to provide for my family through a Living Trust and life insurance, but I spend no time thinking about how the world would be different if I wasn't around. The other night I watched the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey played by James Stewart is given the opportunity to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. The movie drove home the point that one person, no matter how insignificant he or she feels, makes a profound impact on the people they contact. Their choices, character, and love actually make more of a difference than being financially secure.
In her practical wisdom, my great-grandmother's question made a profound impact upon me. Her statement showed that where I am on the globe matters because I am important to her. If she had died before asking that question, I never would have known how much I matter to her. Lesson learned? Take the time to let people know they make a difference in your life. Also, never forget to thank God for the difference His presence makes in our lives. I am limited to a tiny spot on the globe, but God is infinite and eternal. Wherever we find ourselves in the world, God is near when we draw near to Him.
One of my favorite exhortations in 2 Timothy 2:3 reads, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." One of the hardships soldiers must endure is separation from family, friends, and what is familiar. They are called to fight as a united unit to accomplish the directives given by commanding officers. God has called our family to serve Him in Australia. Separation is hard, but God through His gracious love meets all our needs. He knows the desires of our hearts, our motivation, our struggles, and fulfills every promise made to us. Romans 8:18 gives us confidence in God's plan for each one of us who labor for His name's sake: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." I believe this wholeheartedly!
Peace does not come from physical proximity, but only from the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ! Praise Him, for He will never leave or forsake us!
I suppose I don't consider the ramifications of my own death that often. I have taken responsible steps to provide for my family through a Living Trust and life insurance, but I spend no time thinking about how the world would be different if I wasn't around. The other night I watched the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey played by James Stewart is given the opportunity to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. The movie drove home the point that one person, no matter how insignificant he or she feels, makes a profound impact on the people they contact. Their choices, character, and love actually make more of a difference than being financially secure.
In her practical wisdom, my great-grandmother's question made a profound impact upon me. Her statement showed that where I am on the globe matters because I am important to her. If she had died before asking that question, I never would have known how much I matter to her. Lesson learned? Take the time to let people know they make a difference in your life. Also, never forget to thank God for the difference His presence makes in our lives. I am limited to a tiny spot on the globe, but God is infinite and eternal. Wherever we find ourselves in the world, God is near when we draw near to Him.
One of my favorite exhortations in 2 Timothy 2:3 reads, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." One of the hardships soldiers must endure is separation from family, friends, and what is familiar. They are called to fight as a united unit to accomplish the directives given by commanding officers. God has called our family to serve Him in Australia. Separation is hard, but God through His gracious love meets all our needs. He knows the desires of our hearts, our motivation, our struggles, and fulfills every promise made to us. Romans 8:18 gives us confidence in God's plan for each one of us who labor for His name's sake: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." I believe this wholeheartedly!
Peace does not come from physical proximity, but only from the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ! Praise Him, for He will never leave or forsake us!
24 December 2010
Love Generously!
As I went to sleep last night, a very simple thought came to me. Wouldn't it be great if now and always God's people were faithful to share the love of Jesus with everyone? A lot of the time we think of evangelism as going to people we've never seen before we tracts or having an outreach at the beach. How great it would be to actively walk in the love of Christ every day! He gave Himself completely, the greatest gift of all!
Romans 10:13-15 reads, "For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" How will people know of the love of Jesus firsthand except God reveal it through His people? We know love because of the sacrificial love of Christ, who died for us when we were sinners. We ought to die to self every day for all people so they too might experience the love of Christ. The love of God prepares the soil of people's hearts to be a willing recipient of His good Word.
A willing recipient is a captive audience! People may not agree with what we believe or what we say initially, or perhaps will never agree. But they will never be able to speak against love from a pure heart. As God has generously offered His love to us always without intermission, may we give that love to others. Let us give the gift of Christ's love this Christmas season and always!
Romans 10:13-15 reads, "For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" How will people know of the love of Jesus firsthand except God reveal it through His people? We know love because of the sacrificial love of Christ, who died for us when we were sinners. We ought to die to self every day for all people so they too might experience the love of Christ. The love of God prepares the soil of people's hearts to be a willing recipient of His good Word.
A willing recipient is a captive audience! People may not agree with what we believe or what we say initially, or perhaps will never agree. But they will never be able to speak against love from a pure heart. As God has generously offered His love to us always without intermission, may we give that love to others. Let us give the gift of Christ's love this Christmas season and always!
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